Drinking culture in Ireland

 "For one knows that, with the help of this 'drowner of cares' one can at any time withdraw from the pressure of reality and find refuge in a world of one's own with better conditions of sensibility. As is well known, it is precisely this property of intoxicants which also determines their danger and their injuriousness. They are responsible, in certain circumstances, for the useless waste of a large quota of energy which might have been employed for the improvement of the human lot."

Sigmund Freud , from 'Civilisation and Its Discontents'.

In the following blog, Neil Treacy, Denise Calnan, Aisling Hussey Sharon Whelton and Orla Walsh talk to gardaí politicians, health professionals and representatives of the alcohol trade in an effort to uncover Ireland's attitude to alcohol.
Promoting culture change in peoples attitude to alcohol abuse, with a view to prompting a re-appraisal of some drinking behaviours and the damage they can cause to innocent third-parties. This is the focus of a new hard-hitting advertising campaign by the alcohol social responsibility organisation, drinkaware.ie.




In the gloomy aftermath of a merry St Patrick’s Day, streets all over Ireland clog with wounded commuters. Yesterday’s drinking is taking its toll on many, splitting headaches and foggy memory is the name of the game today.

But when the headaches clear and the memory returns, how will we look back on the festivities. Is St Patrick’s Day an occasion of pride, or is it just another excuse to drown our sorrows?

The UL Collective speaks to several figures from around the country as we delve into Ireland’s drinking culture with one simple question; why?

A spokesman for the Garda Press Office has stated that despite the latest drinking habits around St Patrick’s Day, public arrest figures have been relatively normal. According to figures released by the CSO, public order offence increased steadily from 2004 to 2008. However, the figure fell from 61,818 to 56,979 in 2009. Arrests for disorderly conduct also fell from 53,421 to 49,155. View the report here.

“There haven’t been remarkable arrest figures over the last few days,” he said.

“St Patrick’s Day has come and gone quite quickly. There are public order offences and arrests every day, so this year has been relatively quiet.”

These opinions were seconded by Offaly publican Fergal Quinn, who described how this year’s festivities were quieter than usual.

“It was quieter than the last two years. People were staying around for about 2 hours and then going home. There'd be more people drinking at home,” he said.

Labour party health spokeswoman Jan O’Sullivan TD feels that St Patrick’s day isn’t the real issue when it comes to alcohol, but rather our everyday attitude is where the real problem lies.

“The fun in parades has nothing to do with alcohol,” O’Sullivan said. “I feel that there is no harm in having a drink or two.”

Celebrating our Irishness is important to O’Sullivan, who feels that highlighting our heritage is vital for the many around the world who are proud of their Irish roots.

“I think that it is more important to those abroad, rather than those at home. St Patricks Day is an opportunity to highlight this celebration abroad.

“In Ireland, you see how much fun children have at the parades. It is a day to celebrate, but it is also a day of relaxation!”

Echoing Jan O’Sullivan’s sentiments, Paul Lee of the University of Limerick Students Union said that the problem is our attitudes to alcohol in general, rather than just students.

“Well, I don’t think this problem is really specific to just students to be honest. Any event in this country is a matter of mass alcohol consumption. The whole fact that a Bank Holiday falls mid-week is always an excuse not to attend work the next morning. It’s not specific to students. Even the corporations in the cities had problems regarding alcohol, like requests in Dublin to close the off-licences during parades. I don’t think it is fair to target just schools for this problem. “

Local Fine Gael, Ger Fahey felt that the festivities in Limerick were a successful family event, one the city should be proud of.

“From what I saw in Limerick it was a great family day, it was brilliant. All the participants too, I mean from young children to teenagers to the adults. The streets of Limerick had all young children and families, even families in the pubs too. I was in the Savoy myself and I think all the pubs catered for the family event, there were plenty of families in the Savoy. The restaurants had special menus- everyone catered perfectly for the event, a great day for all the family really.

He added, regarding the increase in public offences on national holidays, “I mean, maybe so. I was listening to the local news this morning, the local radio, and I didn’t hear of any major incidents really. I wasn’t in the city myself but I’m sure there were no incidents. I mean, maybe it was the fact that St. Patrick’s Day fell on a Wednesday this year, people would have had work etcetera the next morning; that may have influenced the situation, they could have gone home that bit earlier. In all, I certainly didn’t see any irresponsibility.

Bishop of Limerick, Willie Walsh said: “There are people who use St Patrick’s Day as a statement of being Irish and they go overboard, but people can go overboard at anytime.

“Young people tend to experiment because they don’t have a good values system. Those with faith would not abuse alcohol. It’s never good to misuse substances like alcohol; it’s bad for the mind and the health.”

Fianna Fail TD Niall Collins stated that he feels the country as a whole is improving in its attitude to alcohol;

‘I don’t think there is that emphasis anymore, I think society is more drink-aware now. It used to be worse maybe five or ten years ago. I think society is becoming more health-aware and becoming more aware of the side effects of excessive alcohol. I mean, we’re not there yet. We do have a long way to go. If there was a barometer of European countries we’re certainly still near the top.

[Regarding the increase in public offences on national holidays] Well, they wouldn’t all be drink-related. I mean alcohol is certainly part of the problem, but I believe now there are other substances involved [in these offences] too’.

A 2008 report into alcohol abuse in Ireland reveals that this problem is widespread in Ireland. The report by the HSE also stresses the negative impact alcohol abuse has on not only the drinker but on those around him.

The HSE report discovered that over one in four (28%) of all injury attendances in the accident and emergency departments were alcohol related. View the report here.

Jerry Dunne, Chief Executive of Irish Association of Suicidology, said that alcohol was a major factor in cases of self harm.

When asked if there was an increase in calls to the Irish Association of Suicidology in the run up to St Patricks Day, Mr Dunne stated that the association had no access to this information, as they are not a helpline.

“There have been 11,500 cases of self-harm yearly,” he said, “and a considerable proportion of these cases are related to alcohol.”

“This is an issue with people taking their own lives. Recently, people working in the medical area have stated that there is a greater level of alcohol consumption in Ireland, which of course is worrying for all.”